Salvaging His Soul

by Samantha A. Cole

  She’d been an idiot not to call her sister and ask for help when money had gotten tight, but Brie worked hard to carry on their father’s legacy—and it wasn’t as if the profits were through the roof. There were a lot of expenses that went with running the business, so while Brie made enough to support herself, Nadine knew she didn’t have much in terms of savings. It also meant that, unless she worked some shifts, Nadine’s paycheck for being a forty-percent partner wasn’t big enough for her to live on—and it fluctuated each month with the tourist seasons. Joe Hanson had known the best thing for Daddy-O’s was to bequeath a majority of the shares to his eldest daughter if it was going to survive, since his youngest had no clue how to run the business.

  When their mother had died, Brie had been eleven, five years older than Nadine. Two years later, Joe Hanson had let his business partner buy out his half of the mid-sized advertising firm they owned, packed up his children, and moved from Florida to Caicos. He’d had a rough time dealing with his loss while surrounded by the home his wife had decorated and all the places they used to go. Caicos had been on their bucket list—it was where the couple had wanted to retire someday—so Joe decided it would be the perfect place to start over with his two girls. Because their mother had been from England and their father from the United States, and both parents had obtained dual citizenship which their two girls had also acquired at birth, it allowed them residency on the Caribbean island.

  While Brie fell in love with Daddy-O’s and loved working there, it’d always bored Nadine. During her teens, she wanted to hang out with her friends, flirting with boys on the beach, and having a good time, not get all hot and sweaty fetching food and drinks for other people. That mentality had followed her into her twenties. She’d rather work anywhere than in a restaurant. Bartending wasn’t as bad, and, depending on what skimpy outfit she wore, she could actually make good money. It was also a great way to meet guys. Unfortunately, she never mastered a lot of the mixed drinks, so Brie would rarely put her behind the bar. After their dad passed away, Nadine had decided to try her hand at a few other jobs, trying to find a place where she fit in and enjoyed the work, but nothing ever seemed to fill both those requirements. It was never more than a few months before she either quit or was fired. Then she would have to go back to Brie with her tail between her legs until she found a new job. When Amy had decided she wanted to move to St. Lucia, Nadine had jumped at the chance to join her.

  A change of scenery—although still in the Caribbean—was something she’d been wanting for a while. Glancing at the windows she couldn’t see out of, Nadine wondered what scenery she was heading for after she was sold, if that’s what was going to happen. Of course, there were a few alternatives she could think of, but none of them boded well for her. Not for the first time, a tear rolled down her cheek, quickly followed by a second one on the other side of her nose. If she survived whatever was coming, Nadine swore she’d change her free-spirited ways. If I survive.

  Carrying her beach tote, Angie rode the elevator down to the second floor where Brie’s and Amy’s rooms were. Her royal-blue bathing suit was under a black cover up. She’d spent the morning arguing with Ian about him wanting to put her on the company jet and send her back to Florida. In the end, he’d relented, but she may have played the pregnancy hormones card in order for that to happen. He hated when she cried, and she’d counted on that when all else had failed. Oh, she knew he knew what she’d been doing, but that hadn’t stopped him from giving into her this time. But he’d told her, in no uncertain terms, she was to stay at the resort, surrounded by people, for her own safety. Considering it was a full service resort, there was very little need for her to leave and head into town.

  About a half hour ago, Ian had left for the airport to meet his team. Trident’s office manager, Colleen, had found them a house to rent for the next two weeks so they’d be able to come and go without drawing much attention to themselves. They’d also be able to hide the unimaginable amount of “luggage” they were sure to be bringing with them. Meanwhile, Carter, Jordyn, and Jimmy—damn it, Jase—had gone to case the estate that was apparently being used by the bastards who were kidnapping women on St. Lucia and the surrounding islands to be sold into sex slavery. Angie couldn’t imagine what those poor women were going through. Their families had to be frantic and devastated, not knowing their loved one’s fate after they’d disappeared without a trace. She prayed Nadine and Brie Hanson wouldn’t end up going through the same thing.

  Strolling down the hallway, she came to the room Brie and Jase were using, and knocked on the door. Since Ian had found out from Nathan that the woman was exactly who Jase thought she was—a nice woman with no skeletons in her closet except one late credit card payment four years ago—Angie was free to get to know her better without the men around. And she was very interested in the woman who had her friend tied up in knots when he didn’t even know it. And yes, she was back to considering him one of her best friends. No matter how angry she’d been yesterday, a huge part of her was happy to know he was still alive. In time, she’d get past the hurt and feelings of betrayal, but having him back would be as good as having her brother back. Sam had been killed in a car accident along with three high school football teammates their senior year. Angie had only been nine at the time, so when Jimmy Andrews and she became best friends a few years later, he’d help fill the hole in her heart.

  “Who is it?” Brie asked from within.

  “It’s me, Brie . . . Angie.”

  The door swung open and the pretty woman stepped to the side and gestured for her to come in. Angie stepped forward and stopped short, seeing that Amy was also there, her eyes red and watering. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll just—”

  Brie closed the door again, and it was then Angie noticed she’d been crying too. “No, you didn’t interrupt. We were just talking about Nadine, and our worry and fear took over. We could use the distraction, so please stay.”

  “Um . . . okay. I’m sort of surprised you didn’t go with Jase, Brie.” Each time she said his new name it became a little easier, but she still had to concentrate on not falling back on old habits.

  Retrieving some tissues from the bathroom, Brie kept a few for herself and handed the rest to Amy. “I thought about it, but Jase was right when he told me I’d probably just be in the way. I don’t know the first thing about stakeouts. Besides, if I saw Nadine there, I’d want to run in and save her, and they all said that would be the worst thing I could do. It could get her killed . . . if she’s even there. So . . . I’m stuck here worrying about all of them for now.”

  The corners of Angie’s mouth ticked upward. “Yeah, that’s the thing about loving an alpha man involved in special ops . . . the worrying every time he’s on a case never really gets easier.”

  “I—I’m not in love with Jase!” Brie’s mouth and hands started going a mile a minute. “We—we’re just friends. I mean . . . we—”

  Sitting on the bed, Amy rolled her now dry eyes and laughed. “Oh, please, Brie! Even I can see your feelings for him have changed over the past few months, and I’m not the most observant person in the world.”

  “What!”

  Angie held up a hand. “Wait a minute. This sounds like a serious girl chat is coming on. Since we’re stuck at this beautiful resort, let’s take advantage of it. It’ll keep our minds from worrying about everyone. Did you bring bathing suits? Let’s go sit by the pool. There’s a great tiki-bar, but I’ll have to settle for a virgin daiquiri.”

  “I have my suit in my room!” Amy jumped up and ran to change. Apparently, she was tired of being cooped up, despite the fact her friend was still missing.

  Brie shook her head, then glanced down at her tan shorts and red tank-top. “I didn’t bring one. When Amy called, we packed quickly and ran to the airport.”

  Hooking her arm around the other woman’s elbow, Angie tugged her to the door. “Then let’s go shopping downstairs. There’s an adorable bikini in t
he boutique that would look awesome on you with your curves. My treat.” When the woman opened her mouth to argue, Angie added, “I insist. I’ll just put it on Ian’s American Express along with anything else I find. He deserves to pay.”

  One way or another, Ian was definitely going to pay, but he was very lucky it wasn’t going to be with a divorce. While the thought had crossed her mind—albeit briefly—and her lips while talking with Jase, the questions Ian had posed to her last night had really made her think. Yes, she was still mad at him, but she also understood the reasoning behind his deceit. Of course, that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to make him grovel for a while.

  After Brie asked her to wait a minute while she went to the bathroom, Angie wandered over to the windows and looked out at the beautiful paradise. Without conscious thought, she cupped her belly. Little Bit hadn’t started kicking yet, and Ian had been hoping it would be soon so he could feel his child within her. Angie’s mind flashed back to that mid-January morning when they’d found out she was pregnant.

  “Angel, please stop pacing and come here.” Ian patted his lap as he sat in an upholstered chair in the sitting area of their large bedroom.

  “I’m too nervous to sit. How come you’re not nervous?”

  He grinned at her as she moved back and forth across the room. “Because I’m a SEAL. Not much makes me nervous.”

  “Uh-huh . . . say that again when I go into labor . . . if I’m pregnant. God! Has it been three minutes yet?”

  Checking his watch, Ian shook his head. “Sixty seconds to go.”

  They’d been trying for a while now, and after Angie’s period didn’t come like clockwork this month, she’d run out last night to get not one, but three pregnancy tests to take this morning. She remembered when Kristen had gotten pregnant with little JD, the home pregnancy test she’d taken had given her a false negative. It wasn’t until her appointment with her GYN a week later she’d found out it had been wrong. While Kristen had wanted to surprise Devon with the announcement, Angie had been too much of a basket case to keep what she suspected from Ian. So now they were waiting for three minutes, which felt like three years, to pass to find out if there was a reason to celebrate.

  As she pivoted on the carpet to continue pacing in the other direction, she slammed into Ian’s hard, sculpted chest. Glancing up, she saw he wasn’t as calm and unaffected as he’d been trying to portray. His eyes held that fear and nervousness he pretended not to have. Her man had never thought he’d be a husband, much less a father, and Angie hoped today he could start imagining what their child would look like in a few months.

  “It’s time, Angel.” Taking her hand, he led her into the bathroom where the three pregnancy sticks she’d peed on were lined up on the counter. Placing her in front of him, he held her tightly against his chest and hips as he peered over her shoulder, and they both looked down.

  Angie stared in shock a moment before she found her voice. “Oh, my God! We’re—We’re pregnant!”

  Spinning her around, Ian kissed her like he was the happiest man alive.

  C

  HAPTER 13

  A short time later, they were sifting through dozens of swimsuits, cover ups, shirts, shorts, and dresses, after telling Amy to meet them in the boutique when she was done getting changed. Angie found the white bikini she’d been talking about in the size twelve Brie had said she needed, and pulled it from the rack. “Here, try this on.”

  Brie shook her head and gestured to her fuller figure. “I haven’t worn a bikini in years. Not since I put on a few extra pounds. What about this?” She held up the black colored suit she’d been looking at.

  Angie rolled her eyes, took the garment from her, and put it back on the rack. “A shapeless tankini? Girl, you have an amazing body. I had to get pregnant to get curves like yours—I just hope I get to keep some of them. And before you protest, let me warn you to never, ever, put yourself down when Ian, Carter, and, I guess, now, Jase are around. Doms hate that crap and it’s the fastest way to earn a punishment around them. Of course, Ian and Carter wouldn’t discipline you, they’d just make sure Jase did, and even though the punishments usually suck, the aftermath tends to be a helluva lot of fun. I still can’t believe Carter got him into the lifestyle, after the hissy fit he threw when Ian introduced me to it. He didn’t say anything to me, but Ian filled me in. Now, go try this on, while I spend more of Ian’s money.”

  Without giving her a chance to say no, the other woman shoved the bikini into Brie’s hands, turned her around, and gently pushed her toward the dressing room. Brie glanced over her shoulder. “Damn, you’re bossy.”

  “Yup, now go.”

  It was clear Angie wasn’t giving her a choice, so Brie decided to try it on and show her that it didn’t look right. Then she’d try on the black tankini. Stripping down in the dressing room, she left her thong underwear on and made sure there was one of those protective strips in the crotch of the bottoms before pulling them on. She then tried on the top, tightening the string at her neck to give her girls some support. It covered her ample breasts more than she’d expected, and was actually kind of cute, but she didn’t know if she had the courage to wear it out on the beach.

  “Let me see how it looks.”

  Hell, Angie really was bossy, but Brie found she didn’t mind. She liked the other woman . . . so far. Taking one last look in the mirror and a deep breath, Brie slid the curtain aside, making sure no one else was nearby but Angie and Amy, whose voice she’d heard while changing. Her sister’s friend was the first one to open her mouth. “Oh. Em. Gee, Brie! You’re rocking that! You have to get it—Jase will be drooling like crazy!”

  “Absolutely,” Angie agreed. “That will definitely knock his socks off. If he’s wearing any, of course. If not, it will definitely get his engine revving.”

  Brie still wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure? I mean, don’t you think I’d look better with something with a little more coverage? Especially on my hips?”

  “Are you kidding?” Angie gaped then glanced around. “Hang on. Stay there. Amy, don’t let her change.”

  “Got it!”

  The woman hurried out into the lobby as Brie just stood there, her eyes wide in surprise and confusion. What the hell is she doing? Oh, no! Nope! Uh-uh! No freaking way! Brie tried to duck back into the dressing room, but Amy grabbed her arm and stopped her. Angie was on her way back into the shop with three hunky guys in their midtwenties, bringing them right over to where Brie was now desperately trying to disappear and praying the floor would open up and swallow her.

  “Gentlemen, my friend here doesn’t think she looks amazing in that bikini and won’t take our word for it. If she was walking down the beach, you’d be seriously checking her out, wouldn’t you?”

  Sure, nothing like daring them to disagree with her. Brie rolled her eyes, and blushed furiously, as the three men inspected her from head to toe.

  “Damn straight!”

  “Hell, yeah! Whatta you doing tonight, darlin’?”

  “You look hot, babe. Not a chance in hell would I turn away from checking you out.”

  Angie crossed her arms and stared at Brie who felt her skin turn ten shades of pink. “Told you. You’re getting it. Thank you, gentlemen. We’ll be at the tiki-bar in a little bit. I’m married and preggo . . .” She put her hand on her belly. “. . . and Brie is sort of taken, but Amy here is single.”

  The younger woman gave the grinning hunks a flirty, little wave of her fingers. “Yes, I am.”

  “Then we’ll see you out there,” the tallest of the three said, before turning back to Brie with a wink. “Definitely get it, darlin’. You do look smokin’ in it. And if your boyfriend turns out to be a dud, my name’s Greg.”

  “I’m Brandon.”

  “And I’m Scott.”

  Greg pushed his two friends toward the door. A teasing smile spread across his handsome face, causing two dimples to appear. “Forget about them. I’m the only one you need to remember, Brie. S
ee you later, ladies.”

  “Bye,” Angie and Amy crooned in unison.

  As the men strode out of the store, with a few backward glances and winks, Brie stepped back into the dressing room. “I’m not sure if I’m going to die of embarrassment or melt from all that hunky testosterone. God knew what he was doing the day he sculpted those three, right?”

  The other two women burst out laughing, but then Brie’s smile dropped. How the hell could she laugh and flirt when her sister was missing? As if sensing where her mind had gone, Angie closed the distance between them and took hold of her hands. “It’s okay, Brie. They’ll find her and bring her home to you. There’s nothing you can do about it right now but wait with us. So, let us help you relax and think about something else until the guys and Jordyn come back with some news, okay?”

  Biting her bottom lip to keep from crying again, Brie inhaled deeply through her nose then let it out again. “Okay. You’re right. I have to stay positive. And I could really use the distraction so I’m getting this bikini and having a daiquiri.”

  “Atta-girl.”

  Lying amongst the heavy tropical foliage, Jase kept his binoculars focused on the fenced-in estate. They’d had to settle for the kind available in sports stores, so he made sure to keep a large leaf from a plant shading the lenses. Otherwise, the sun would reflect off them and alert the armed guards to his presence on the north side of the property. He was also wearing dark clothing to help him blend in with his surroundings—since that was what he wore more often than not on missions he hadn’t thought twice about packing them.